Clair de Lune - K.M.

c h a p t e r f i f t y

It's a strange thing to know that your life is never going to be the same. I wake up next to Klaus the day after graduation and don't move for a long time, taking in the feeling of my last morning in Mystic Falls. I've wanted to leave this place my whole life, never having felt like I belonged. The people I love were the only things keeping me here and now it's time to leave. I know that.

And yet, I find myself wishing that the seconds would stretch into minutes just so I could wait a little bit longer. Maybe that's part of being immortal. Being given the gift of infinite time means that the moments you wish would last end up slipping by faster than you expect.

Next to me, Klaus lets out a quiet yawn and flips over so that he's facing me. His hand snakes around my waist to pull me against him and I allow myself to be folded into his warm embrace.

"Morning, my love," he murmurs in his low attractive morning voice, kissing my temple.

"Morning," I sigh as I reach up and push back his hair. "How did you sleep?"

I take in the sight of Klaus' sleepy face and I'm hit with a pang of reminder of just how much I've missed him. It almost feels like I still do even though he's right here next to me, stroking my side softly with his thumb.

"Better," he admits quietly. "As it turns out, I find myself unable to rest without you."

"Was New Orleans really that bad?"

"The city itself? No," he says and I give him a strange look at his cryptic answer. "I'll explain everything later, pup. What I meant was the city hasn't changed. It's still the place I used to call home but the entire time I was there, I couldn't help but feel that something was missing."

"What?" I ask and Klaus smiles at me.

"You, my clueless girl. Nowhere could feel like home without you."

"Thank god," I say softly. "I was worried that you were thinking of leaving me behind."

My tone is lighthearted but I'd be lying if I said those thoughts never crossed my mind. Elena's angry, emotionless words about Klaus getting tired of me trying to push him away and finding someone new cut me more deeply than I'd care to admit. A part of me worried that she was right. I've been successful at pushing away everyone else in my life at one point or another. Why not Klaus?

I'm reminded why not when the hybrid leans in to kiss me. I melt into him and let the pressure of his lips pressed against mine act as a promise that I know he'll never break.

"You really thought I'd leave you here for good? Is it not clear how utterly obsessed with you I am?" Klaus murmurs as he trails a line of kisses across my jaw.

"I mean you've left me here before..."

Klaus breaks away with a guilty sigh and I cup his jaw with my hand, forcing him to look at me. The hybrid rolls his eyes when he sees the smirk on my face.

"You're messing with me."

"Maybe," I say, kissing him swiftly. "I didn't really think that you'd move on without me. And I get why you had to leave but-"

"But what?" Klaus asks, grabbing my hand and twisting his head to press his lips against the soft sensitive skin of my palm.

"I hated every second you were gone," I admit. "I don't know when I became this lame, needy girl but in case it isn't clear, I'm pretty fucking obsessed with you too."

Klaus smiles and my heart flutters in my chest. He's just so damn beautiful. Sometimes I wish that I wasn't the only person who get to see him like this and other times I want to treat this version of him like a secret and keep him all to myself.